Blind Guardian - At The Edge Of Time

[Virgil.]

This has got to be BG's best work since Nightfall. I'm really impressed with the songwriting. Anyone else heard this or pick it up yet? Is it just me, or are there volume fluctuations (especially with the keys and orchestrations/synths) in various spots throughout the album? Almost like it's pumping in some spots. Idk. I'm definitely glad I grabbed this tho!

[ame]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tDkn62o90cc&feature=related[/ame]

 

[Skinny Viking]

I gotta say, as much as I usually love charlie bauerfeind's work, I'm starting to feel like he's made BG a little too "bright" sounding in their production. I much prefer the darker production sounds they had on "Nightfall" and "Imaginations" but thats just a matter of taste really. Either way, this cd sounds like a REALLY great return to form for them so I'll be picking it up soon.

 

[Virgil.]

Agreed.

I'm glad they made a song about the Wheel of Time series, but seriously... it almost needs a whole album just like Nightfall was primarily influenced by LOTR. Wheel of time has 2-3x as many books and I think deserves more than just one song. For those familiar w/ the series know what i'm talking about.

 

[Lodge]

I have been a hardcore Guardian fan for many years now, and I fucking lvoe this album! A Twist in the Myth was a little disappointing, although I loved ANATO. I'm so fucking geeked that they are making speedy epics again. I have noticed the volume fluctuations, especially at the end of Wheel of Time, where the big choral vocals come in with the orchestra behind them. I can't say I'm not a fan of the production, it sounds great to me! The guitars all sound nice and chunky, the harmonies sound great as usual, and of course any BG fans know that Hansi is just the fucking man. His high registry vocals are just unreal, and I don't think there is much tuning going on, because you can tell in the video teasers that he was hitting the notes. All in all its such a moving experience. The lyrics have such depth, and the melodies aren't so "happy" like they were on ATITM, its back to the more melancholy sound of old. Fuck typing anymore about it, Im going to go listen to it again.

 

[Nebulous]

Still not quite sold on this album yet. Feels a bit thrown together IMO. Not enough consistency in the songs, almost like a best of that's been re-writen so you're taken from one song with more synths than guitars to another song with no synths at all untill the chorus.

I will try to give it more time.

 

[AshesOfTheWake]

I love the medieval feel on Curse My Name. The real orchestras on Sacred Worlds and Wheel Of Time are great also. It makes me want that orchestral album a lot more now.

 

[Jevil]

As one of the biggest BG fans in the world since 1991 I have to say that the album was a bit disapointinting. It is not a bad album at all but songwritting could have been better...
I'd rate it 7.5/10... far from "Tales..", "Somewhere...", "Imaginations...", that IMO are masterpieces.

 

[vespiz]

I'm still on the fence, but I'm leaning towards what Jevo said. Standouts so far were Valkyries, Voice in the Dark and Wheel of Time (with reservations, who the heck arranged those Mariachi horns there???).

About the levels, they had to give room in the mix for the orchestra in some songs, so the drums and guitars had to take a step back.
Compare A Voice in the Dark and Wheel of Time. Not everything can be on 10. (Despite what Manowar say..)

Also, somebody loves those toms! Holy crap, they're the loudest thing on the album!
The snare gets lost sometimes and Hansi's vocals get a little stuffy..
Mind you, I listened at home with headphones, but I trust these (AKG K240s) as I listen with them only.

 

[Nebulous]

I completely agree that not everything can be at 10 I think the actual arragements were to blame for it. Not consistent enough between songs.

 

[Harry Hughes]

Still not quite sold on this album yet. Feels a bit thrown together IMO. Not enough consistency in the songs, almost like a best of that's been re-writen so you're taken from one song with more synths than guitars to another song with no synths at all untill the chorus.

I will try to give it more time.

That's how I feel about it. I just can't jive with it completely. It's not a bad album by any stretch of the imagination, but very disappointing compared to the last two albums.
I'm not really a power metal fan at all, but the fact I can listen to some BG stuff and really like it is a testament to the quality of some of their music if it's able to attract fans who aren't usually into the genre at all.

 

[narcossintese]

As I´ve said on the other thread, I loved the album at first and I´m liking it even more now. I liked all the songs and IMO it´s the best album since Imaginations from The Other Side. The chorus of Sacred Worlds gives me the shivers, it´s probably my favourite Blind Guardian's long song. I was missing some more raw songs like Ride Into Obsession. Hansi vocals are godlike. It never cases to amaze me how awesome it is no matter what style. Screams, spoken words, melodic, in a bard´s fashion, high pitched, aggressive... dude slays in all of them. It´s almost unfair.

Can´t wait to see them live again.

 

[Felix Neumann]

the chorus of Sacred Worlds gives me the shivers, it´s probably my favourite Blind Guardian's long song

Oh yeah, I feel the same. This song is one of the best ever written by BLIND GUARDIAN in my opinion. The problem is, I like this song a lot more than the rest of the album